School of Medicine

Michael R. Brent and Tamara L. Doering examine data from the *C. neoformans* microarray.A team of collaborators, including two researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, has sequenced the genomes of two strains of the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans), one which is virulent, the other harmless. This work provides researchers with clues on how the fungus does its dirty work and a host of genes to study for a better understanding of fungal pathogens in general. Estimates are that about 15 percent of people with HIV will suffer at least one life-threatening infection of C. neoformans. In Africa, that could be as much as 40 percent of HIV sufferers.

Rates of celiac disease are significantly higher in patients with osteoporosis, according to researchers at the School of Medicine. They recommend using blood tests to screen osteoporosis patients for celiac disease because their study has shown that treating celiac disease with diet can restore bone health in these patients.

*Arabidopsis thaliana*A team headed by Craig Pikaard, Ph.D., Washington University professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, has discovered a fourth kind of RNA polymerase found only in plants and speculated to have been a plant feature for more than 200 million years.

Researchers at WUSTL, Stanford University and Loyola University Medical Center, among others, used a first-of-its-kind statistical method.

About 19 percent of people have a genetic variation that may increase susceptibility to osteoporosis, a School of Medicine study says.

The research shows that the stroke-prevention drug Exanta is less cost-effective for most patients than the blood thinner warfarin.

Missouri legislators have introduced bills that would criminalize certain kinds of research into medical uses of embryonic stem cells. More medical news

He was among the first scientists to determine the precise details of how islets of Langerhans in the pancreas produce insulin.

Photo by Robert BostonThe School of Medicine’s Central Administration Recognition Luncheon recognized 64 employees with at least 10 years of service.

NulandSherwin Nuland, physician, professor and best selling author, will relay his experiences working with tsunami victims in Sri Lanka for the Washington University Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 23, in Graham Chapel. His talk is called “Tsunami Medical Diary.”